I have two Stella 3000FB’s and one 3000 FD. I’ve had these reels for at least ten years.
 

Does anyone know how these compare to some of Shimano’s more current spinning reels? 

 

Has the technology from these models trickled down to less expensive current Shimano reels?  

I have the Stella FI 2000 and FJ 1000 and the build quality and smoothness are beyond reproach.  That said, I use the Vanford 500F and 1000F reels much more frequently on my ultralight spinning rigs because they are notably lighter and almost as smooth.

The Vanford 500 is the Soare with a facelift - it has locomotive drive, and is only offered in USM (JDM already has Soare).  

The Vanford 1000 is worm drive with the longer spool pitch of Stella in the same sizes.    

 

Each worm-drive Shimano reel introduced since '18 Stella swaps parts with '18 Stella - 

- '19 Stradic and Vanquish, '20 Twin Power and Vanford - they all share Stella's overqualified roller-bearing clutch.  They all share the same labyrinth seals as Stella.  (they all share Stella's sucky line roller, which can be fixed with a great part made by MTCW)

 

Stella has stainless steel drive.  The other reels all have alloy drive.  

Stella has magnesium body and rotor.  Vanquish has magnesium body and CI4+ rotor, and shares titanium bail with Stella.  Vanford is CI4+ body and the same CI4+ rotor as Vanquish.  

Vanquish is the lowest-inertia reel ever made, Vanford is the lightest by 10 g.   

 

Stradic has aluminum body and a different (heavier) CI4+ rotor.  Twin Power has aluminum body and rotor.  Stella and Twin Power both have lower rotor deflection (strain) than the others.  

 

Stella, Vanquish, and Twin Power are bench-assembled with parts-matching in Japan - they each have BB metal spool (magnesium/alloy) and BB worm-gear pawl. 

Vanford and Stradic are assembled on the Malaysia line - they have bushings in the spool and worm-gear pawl, and CI4+ spools.